T. L. Plain.

Coaches, Barret Manual, Henderson City High 1952-1971

Basketball-Baseball Coaches:

T. L. Plain: 1952-1953 (BMTHS)

1953-1954 (BMTHS)

1954-1955 (BMTHS)

1955-1956 (HHS)

1956-1957 (HHS)

Don Chapman: 1958-1960

Chester Montgomery: 1960-1963

Miles Willard: 1963

Ken Geralds: 1963

Bill Womack: 1963 (interim coach only)

Football Coaches:

Don Shelton 1952-1960

Bull Dawson: 1961-1973

Book title: "My Life &Times" by coach T. L. plain,

A book written on his memoirs, covering everything from his childhood through present day in Owensboro, KY.

T. L. sent me a copy of his book and I found it was some very interesting reading material.

Coach T. L. Plain

Head Coach at Barret Manual Training High School 1953-1955,

Head Coach at Henderson City High School, 1955-1957.

T. L. (full name is Truman Layton Plain) Plain, was the consummate coach, demanding excellence, and he received it!!! He stressed teamwork, and he received it!!! He demanded discipline and he received it!!!. He demanded dedication and he received it!!!

Above all, T. L. stressed "Teamwork" as his priority in coaching.

He received them all.

Head coach at Breckingridge

County 1951 & 1952 seasons.

Head coach at Barret Mauual Training from 1953 to Barret's closing in 1955, & at the new Henderson High City 1955 through 1957. (both as head coach in baseball & basketball).

Head coach at Vincennes High

School from 1957 to 1959.

Coach of KHSAA West all-star basketball team that defeated the East all-stars in the last of this series between the West & east all-stars.

Head coach at Kentucky Wesleyan from 1959 to 1963.

Head coach at Vincennes High School from 1966 to 1968.

Assistant coach at University of Louisville from 1969 to 1971.

Assistant coach at University of Kentucky from 1971 to 1973. (T. L. could have been been selected as head coach at UK, replacing the legendary Adolph Rupp, instead Joe B. Hall was chosen as Rupp's replacement.)

Head coach at Utah State University from 1973 to 1976.

Retired from Executive Inn in Evansville, Ind. as coordinator of convention sales in 1996.

The McLean County native from Sacremento, KY graduated from Western Kentucky State Teachers College (now Western Kentucky University), and received his master’s degree from Murray State.

Coach Plain has resided in Owensboro, KY. with his wife Juanita since 2005. His fondest memories of Henderson City High coaching was the great group of athletes that he had. Coach Plain said he never had a problem with any member of the Barret teams or the Henderson City teams. Coach Plain said the best basketball player he ever coached was Kelly Coleman. Even though Kelly Coleman was a totatally undisciplined player, he was the purest shooter he ever saw.

T. L.'s finest years in Henderson, the 1955 Barret baseball team finished 4th in the state tournament, and finished 3rd in the state baseball tournament as head coach at City High in 1956. His 1954-55 Barret basketball team finished 3rd in the Kentucky High School sweet 16 contest, and finished 2nd losing with a very tired team.namely Carr Creek High School in the state finals in the 1955-56 season.

Coach Plain had nothing but praise for Pascal Benson. Coach Plain does name another player as his all-time favorite player to coach. That high school boy was Sammy Joe Shelton, whom Coach Plain calls Mr. Do anything and everything, a Charlie Hustle years before that phrase became popular, in every sport he played and he said Sammy played them all to perfection. He also called Sammy the most disciplined athlete he ever coached. In this writer's opinion, those are the highest praise any coach can bestow upon an athlete. That about says it all!!!!!!!!!!!

Dave Eakins stated that the replacement for retiring legendary coach Adolph Rupp was between the top 2 assistant coaches at U. K., T. L. Plain & Joe B. Hall for the head coaching job. Isn't it strange how fate works? Again, fate denied greatness for T. L. Plain.

Donald A. Chapman, 85, Henderson, passed away at 2:17 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012, An educator for 43 years, Don retired from Henderson Community College where he taught for 27 years. Survivors include his wife of 27 years, Elizabeth "Betsy" Chapman.

Don Chapman

Assistant basketball and football coach at Barret from 1952 through 1955 & at the newly constructed City High from 1956 and 1957.

Head basketball and baseball coach at Henderson City High from 1957 through 1959.

Head coach at Fort Knox High School

Principal at Henderson County High School in 1970 -71.

Guidance counselor at the Henderson Community College 1974-1976.

     This native New Yorker, Don Chapman graduated from Western Kentucky in 1952, and was a punter on the Hilltopper football team. Don Chapman, was the perfect assistant coach with T. L. Plain's style of basketball. Don replaced Coach Plain when T. L. left for Vincennes. He remained at the helm for 1 1/2 years.

    Don resided in Henderson until his death, and was married to Betsy (Royster).

Assistant Coach Don Chapman

Barret Manual High 1954-55

Henderson City High Coach 1955-1956.

Ass't Coach of state 3rd place Barret High School

Ass't Coach of state 2nd place Henderson City High

Don Shelton

Head Coach: Barret Manual

Training High School, 1952, 1953, 1954.

Head Coach: Henderson City High School, 1955-1959.

Kentucky State Football

Champions 1955 & 1959.

Head coach: Murray State University, 1960-1966.

Assistant basketball coach: Barret Manual Training

High School 1952-1955.

Assistant basketball coach:

Henderson City High School, 1956-1959.

A four-sport high school star at Barret in the mid-1940's, Shelton went on to earn four football letters at the University of Louisville under former Barret coach Frank Camp. Shelton would return to Barret in 1952 as football coach, where he posted a career record of 45-24-5.

His 1955 Henderson City High team was 10-0 and won the mythical state championship. His 1959 team finished 12-0 and captured the first-ever Class AA state championship. Shelton later was head coach at Murray State. Through the 1959 football season, Don Shelton was the only KHSAA coach to have two undefeated seasons.

Shelton & his wife Judy were residing in Covington KY. relocated to Ocala, FL in 2009.

On a sad note, Coach Don Shelton passed away Oct. 4, 2011, at the age of 83 in Ocala, Fl.

Chester Montgomery

Coach Chester Montgomery coached the Flash basketball & baseball teams from the 1960-61 into the 1962-63 season when he resigned in midseason of the basketball season to scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates. His best season was the 1961-62 season leading the Flash basletball squad to a very respectible 20-7 season.

This web-site is dedicated to the Barret Manual &

Henderson City High Sports teams from 1954-1963.

Especially the Henderson City High 1955-56 sports teams

that had so many great gifted student/athletes.

The contents of this web site are intended to be used

only for the educational value and entertainment enjoyment.

An alumni of Henderson City High School stated to me:

"Once a Flashman, always a Flashman".

Truer words have never been spoken.

Many thanks to the people listed below for their contributions.
Jim Adams (HHS '59),
Elaine Benson (HNHS: '59),

Pascal Benson (HHS '56)

Don Gish (BMTHS '55),

Glenda Alexander Guess (HHS '57),

Shirley Hagan (HHS '56),
Billy Haynes (HHS '59),
Sonda Keach Nolan (HHS '56),
Dr. Fred Schuette (HHS '56),
Sammy Joe Shelton (HHS '56),
Bud Bayard Walters (HHS '59),
Coach T. L. Plain

all artwork/photos are the property of SAR2 CREATIONS of Nevada,

Please contact webmaster for any use of artwork or photographs.

All photographs used are public-domain,

there are no violations of copyright laws

or Hippa Laws of Privacy.

Shelby A. (Lex) Riggs II

web-master

Please note that all photographs were sent in by former students of Henderson City High School. They have all been edited, corrected & cleaned up as well as they possibly could. If you are displeased with a photo, simply scan the photo that you want replaced and I will be more than happy to replace it.

Thanks for your support,

Lex Riggs, webmaster